MovieChat Forums > Author! Author! (1982) Discussion > One of the reasons it's bad.

One of the reasons it's bad.

posted 19 years ago by mannix-6
15 replies | jump to latest

i've always liked this movie even though I know it isn't a good movie.
Parts of the movie works, the other part doesn't. I think the part of the movie that really doesn't work is the whole play within a play itself. "English with Tears" is just bad. Which is odd. The screenwriter is an actual playwright so it's odd that he didn't put more into the actual play within the movie. As a result, none of the scenes involving the actual play seem to work. Even Dyan Cannon isn't really that great. I think there is always a big problem when you do a movie ABOUT an entertainment occupation (dance, plays, movies, comics, writing, etc). If you show the actual work within, it HAS to be good otherwise some of the movie's entire credibility is shot. If Ivan is such a great playwright, let's write a good play for him, otherwise don't show any of it.

I do like Alan King and Bob Dishy as the producer and director but they could have easily made this movie making Ivan a different profession and it would have been better...because the scenes that work are ALL about Ivan and his kids.
(and some of the fights with Gloria)

[–] Hwood9696 19 years ago

I hear what you're saying about industry films not always working but how can you fault the writer for writing what he knows? It's the #1 rule. I love this flick. I think it holds up well. It wasn't a Box office barn-burner but the story itself holds up well. (With a few small hiccups like a seemingly decent father living in plushy Ct. allowing his daughters to be taken away to live with a step-father without the mother living there.)

[–] spope2 18 years ago

This is a good movie. Pacino out of his usual 'pond'. Is still a good film. Funny, warm and refreshing.

[–] the_darkness_of_poetic_humor 18 years ago

Wholeheartedly agree with you spope2. I really don't know why the film received such bad criticism or where it faultered, but I enjoyed the film immensely!!!

The song at the end about milk and cookies or whatever....oh lord did that song really get on my nerves and sounded something off of Sesame Street!!!

[–] lensue88 11 years ago

This is one of my favorite Pacino movies. I was a teenager when it came to cable and I like NY movies, family, Broadway, kids were funny/sad

[–] ta421sbtrhalf 15 years ago

(With a few small hiccups like a seemingly decent father living in plushy Ct. allowing his daughters to be taken away to live with a step-father without the mother living there.)

I can't see that he was that decent, apparently he was married to some woman that his daughters had never met, and Conneticut isn't that far from NYC where they couldn't go there on a long weekend.

People on ludes should not drive!

[–] kunalsen_7684 18 years ago

Disagree with the Op- I loved this film- Pacino was mesmerising- too bad it's VERY VERY overlooked- The film reminds me of Tootsie sometimes

[–] samanthaseaotter 17 years ago

Who cares if it's bad? I think Al Pacino was so unbelievably hot that I don't care it wasn't good... I sat there drooling the entire film. Yum!

Samantha

"Nobody's perfect."

[–] Snoopymichele 17 years ago

Samantha, I agree with you, Al was hot in that movie, and I too was drooling over him-back when I was a 13 year old girl watching it on cable, and even now watching it on DVD. Wow!!!!

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 16 years ago

I agee Al was HOT in this film, one thing about Al, he can come off really detached, cold, menacing and intimidating but at the same time he can pull of this cuddly-goofy yet sincere CUTENESS likened to a puppy dog! But this film was GOOD! There have been few family films that has taken me in like this has, I gave both this and Bobby Deerfield (another underrated Pacino film) a 10/10!

Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until it passes.

[–] manipool 9 years ago

Agreed.Loved him and the film when I first saw it. Also loved Sea of Love. His love scene with Ellen Barkin was hot, hot hot!

[–] jporter-6 17 years ago

The bad play-within-a-movie is part of the charm
of the story. Because we don't know the context
of the scenes we see, or the storyline of the play,
we don't know if the bad play is really bad or not.

But the point is that Ivan keeps on going despite
the horrible problems his family and he are having,
the support and love they give one another.

[–] thoushaltabide 15 years ago

The heartwarming story does not rid the film of its horrible acting and writing. You people keep pushing this movie for its "family story" when you should really just drop it because, all things considered, it's one of the worst Pacino films ever made.

[–] spope2 17 years ago

JUST ENJOY THE MOVIE FOR WHAT IT IS!........................Jesus, you critics are SO stupid....It's a FUN! enjoyable comedy/drama...remember them?!

[–] puravida27 16 years ago

i loved it. I've seen it twice in two months.

ivan

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 16 years ago

After having just watched the film, I'm quite flabbergasted with all the negative reviews. I believe this film works on so many levels, did not find any weakspots, acting, comedy, story/plot, dialogue, the KIDS, even the mother - EVERYTHING fit in perfectly for me. Perhaps people were unwilling to watch TOUGH GUY MICHAEL CORLEONE "aka Al Pacino" in a family oriented movie?

Also, 'films about the entertainment industry or those involving people from the industry don't work'? I don't understand that at all! Watch musicals, especially The Band Wagon or what about Singing In the Rain? Didn't those movies work? The latter even won an oscar! Check various films released w/in the 20th century, many involving the industry have worked.

BTW, is this film related to P.G. Wodehouse' Author! Author!? I haven't read that particular Wodehouse book, so I don't know. But the theme & comic element reminds me so much of Wodehouse.

Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until it passes.